1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel system and method for use in basketball shooting practice and, more particular, pertains to a basketball having distinctive surface configurations, designs and colors that visually provides an athlete with immediate feedback as to whether each shot was properly executed.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
Basketball is a common sport among youths and adults alike. Most youth basketball players develop and practice their shooting techniques without instruction or a coach. Basketball is often played with a minimum of equipment, no officiating, no coaching and a makeshift court. For example, basketball is often played on a driveway or in a school yard. Basketball may also be played as a solo practice event or one-on-one between friends. Among such play, information or techniques are often erroneous. Thus, any skills developed in reliance on informal play are questionable. In fact, practice of those skills may simply solidify poor techniques.
Athletes, especially young athletes first learning the game of basketball, and particularly proper techniques of shooting the basketball, need knowledge of what to do; and, need feedback, preferably immediate feedback, as to whether the proper technique was employed for each shot. Many athletes begin shooting without supervision and adopt an unorthodox style. They need to know proper techniques. They also need some way to know whether they are executing the techniques properly during practice. Finally, athletes need a reminder with each shot, until the proper technique, properly executed is a habit.
Practicing to acquire a skill is most effective if a proper technique is properly executed numerous times. Among other things, practice strengthens required or useful muscles. Practice also creates control. However, practicing a wrong technique or executing a technique improperly teaches wrong technique and is counter-productive. In fact, bad practice may be worse than no practice. Poor practice limits an athlete's ability to perform or to improve in any sport or activity. Practice should employ proper technique for each basketball shot.
There have been many “how-to” books and manuals written about learning how to play the game of basketball and proper form and technique in shooting the basketball. However, such writings fail to include means for ensuring that the technique employed by the athlete is proper and consistent with the writings' instructions. When shooting the basketball, in order to control the shot with repeated, identical, correct, and habitual positioning and movement, immediate feedback is needed for the athlete to be aware of whether the ball's flight and rotation is proper. Such feedback immediately informs the athlete as to whether the shooting technique was properly executed. With proper technique, properly executed, the technique becomes habit, even reflex.
The use of basketballs with surface configurations of various designs, configurations and colors is also known in the prior art. More specifically, balls with surface configurations of various designs and configurations heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of marking balls were primarily used for rendering the ball's surface more grippable through various methods and apparatus known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations. Such design and configurations were not used to provide the athlete with immediate visual feedback as to whether each shot was properly executed.
While these prior art devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a basketball shooting aid having distinctive surface configurations, designs and colors on the surface of the basketball to immediately inform the athlete with visual feedback as to whether proper technique was employed for each shot.
In this respect, the basketball shooting aid according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides a basketball shooting aid primarily developed for the purpose of providing the athlete immediate visual feedback as to whether the proper technique was employed for each shot. Specifically, the basketball shooting aid of the present invention visually informs the athlete as to the proper grip, the release of the shot and the arc and rotation of the basketball during flight.
It can, therefore, be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved basketball shooting aid which can be used for providing immediate visual feedback as to whether the proper technique was employed for each shot. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.